RCMP handed out more than 2,040 tickets to Lower Mainland drivers using cellphones in July and August, and plan another blitz for September.
The numbers are up sharply from the 1,200 that were given out in the same period last year, when the new rules against driving while using electronic devices were fresh in people’s minds.
Supt. Norm Gaumont, head of the RCMP’s regional traffic services, said the surge of tickets for those violating the law are because “we’re enforcing it more.”
He said that during September, every RCMP traffic unit in the Lower Mainland region has been directed to pay extra attention to motorists who appear distracted.
Police arranged a similar campaign last February and handed out “double” the usual amount of tickets, he said.
“Distracted drivers are the No. 1 cause of [traffic] fatalities in the Lower Mainland.”
He said distracted drivers cause more fatal accidents than drunk drivers and handling a cellphone while behind the wheel is one of the most common causes.
“You can’t afford to be looking anywhere else except for in front of you,” Gaumont said. “God forbid that you’re talking or texting and you end up killing somebody.”
The fine for handling a cellphone while driving is $167. Those caught texting face an additional three-point penalty on their drivers’ licence.
Violators are easy to spot, Gaumont said, explaining that officers look for motorists staring into their laps.
“Some are more flagrant,” he added.
Police need to see the driver either talking on the phone, or holding the device in their hand, to issue a ticket, the officer said. “We put members in plain clothes at intersections.”
Gaumont said the plainclothes spotters will alert other officers further down the street, ready to issue tickets.
Hands-free phones remain a legal option for motorists on British Columbia’s roads, the officer said.
eduggan@vancouversun.com With a file from Tracy Sherlock
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